Assorting and routing case for post-offices.



C. H. H. BAILEY.

ASSORTING AND ROUTING CASE FOR POST OFFICES.

APPLICATION FILED JULY8,1909.

Patented May 3, 1910.

Wl TNESSE.

UNITED STATES PATENT oEEIoE.

' K l CHARLES H. H. BAILEY, 0F SOUTH BBAINTBEE, MASSACHUSETTS.

ASSOBTIG AND 'BOUTING CASE FOB POST-OFFICES.

specification of Letters Intent.

Patented May 3, 1910.

Application Med July 8, 1809. Serial No. 506,829.v

.To all whom it may concern:

Be it. v known that I, CHARLES H. H. Balm-n', of South Braintree, in the county of Norfolk and State of Massachusetts, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in an Assorting and Routing Case for Post-Ofiices, of which the following is a specification.

This invention has for its object the production of a novel and eiicient article of furniture particularly adapted for use in post oiices, technically known as an assortmg and routing case, so constructed and arranged that while occupying a minimum of floor-space the improved case presents a maximum of accessibility, a wide range of 'vertical and angular adjustment, and great ease and convenience of operation.

In the present embodiment of my invention the upper part or head of the article of furniture, arranged for the assorting and routilwr of mail matter, is mounted upon a verticzly adjustable standard or base in such manner that the head can be revolved upon a vertical axis, the standard or base' greater convenience for the user, and enyso ables the back or front of the head to be turned to the position most accessible for the insertion or removal of mail matter, while econpmizing the floor-s ace occupied, a great desideratum in post o ce work.

Assorting and routing cases now in use, so far as known to me, are supported upon tables having the usual supporting legs,

and they not only take up an undue amount of room but are also inconvenient and more or less inaccessible for free and comfortable work.

The various novel features of my inven' tion will be fully described in the subjoined specification and particularly pointed out in the following clalms.

Figure 1 is a vertlcal section of an assortmg and routlng case embodyln one form of my present invention, taken t rough the ferred to; Fig. 4 .is a vertical section through the head or case proper, showing the front and back shelving and the u right wire partitions used in connection t erewith.

Referring to Fig. 1, the standard or base comprises an upright tubular metal casting I, constituting a shell, enlarged at its foot to form a firm support, which rests upon and is preferably fixedly secured to the floor b suitable fastenings A, the bore of the shel receiving a vertically adjustable tube or sleeve L held in adjusted position by a suitable set screw J. At its upper end the sleeve L has secured to or forming part of it a cone or ball-race L* for anti-friction balls L2 held in place b the upper ball-race or member M, screwe onto the threaded part of a rod E and held in place by a washer and lock nut at N. l The upper end of this rod has screwed upon it the hub P of a casting havying upturned divergent branches Q on which the hea or case pro er is mounted, as will be described, the rod extending down through the sleeve L and being revoluble therein. Herein the' lower end of the rod is threaded at C to receive a lock nut B, a washer l) beiner interposed between it and the bottom of the sleeve to prevent longitudinal movement of rod in the sleeve.

I have shown a seat K on an arm H attached at F to the lower part of the shell I, the arm heilig provided with a suitable footrest G.

From the foregoin descri tion it will be apparent that the ro E an attached casting l, Q can revolve easily within the sleeve L, beingLvertically sustained by the ballbearing L", M, referred to, and by raising or lowering said sleeve the rod and parts carried'by it will be adjusted vertically, the set screw J maintainingthe desired vertical adjustment.

The upright sides Z of the head or case proper are screwed to the branches Q, Fig.'2, the sides being grooved to receive shelves b which extend from front to back of the case, the lower, enlarged portions c of the sides Z being grooved to form uides for a horizontal, sliding member resting on rollers S sustained in sockets in the upper parts of the branches Q. This member U forms the bottom of the case, and itis slidably mounted so that it may be drawn out from the front or back of the case, according to the position of the person at work, and when so wires.

lVhen not in use as a shelf the member U' is pushed in out of the way, as shown in Fig. 1, suitable ingerrooves R being provided in the underside o said member by which it may be drawn outward.

A drawer T is mounted on the underside of the member U and so arranged that it is accessible from the back or the front of the case, and end pieces W on said member prevent mail matter thereon from falling to the Hoor when said member U is drawn out for use as a shelf.

Immediately above the sliding member, and extending transversely of the case, is an upright partition X, to Vthe bottom of which is secured an extension piece V, of considerable width from front to back, 'to add to the effective depth of the sliding member U when it is pulled outward into operative position.

Upright back-boards Y extend from one to the other side Z, and bent wire partitions d are attached thereto, as shown 1n Fig. 4, the wire bein bent to form say three loops, the upper an lower ones extending outward lbetween the shelves b while the intermediate bend is reversed, and continuous around the back of a shelf, the latter beingvcut out at the back at m to allow the passage of the The outwardly extended bends form partitions, "as will-be apparent, and the ends of the wires are suitably attached at n and c, Fig. 4, to the back-boards Y. This style of partitionl can be made very cheaply, it is light in weight, will lnot collect dust, and permits the shelves b to be pulled out if desired, to thereby free mail matter from the p partitions when such matter is to be reand bottom to the back-boards and at the' ends to the sides Z.

In Fig. 3 I have shown a modied form of construction, particularly adapted for newspapers, the pigeon-hole having its bottom inclined Yfrom the entrance l1, and horizontal therefrom to the outlet g, which latter is partly closed by a hinged door f. Said door prevents the papers thrown into the pigeonhole at h from sliding through and drop ing onto the floor, the'horizontal portion o the bottomserving to stop the momentum of the papers as they slide down the inclined part adjacent the entrance or inlet end h.

From the foregoing vdescription it will be apparent that the head or case proper may be revolved to any convenient positlon for the operator, so that he can work atthe back or front of the case without changing his own position.

strong and durable manner, and with the greatest economy as to space.

Havin fully described my invention, what I c aim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is 1. In post-ofee furniture, a hub having upturned .divergent branches socketed in their upper portions, rollers mounted in the sockets, a case or head having upright sides horizontally ooved from front to back on their A inner aces, and fixedly attached to the. branches outside said rollers, a shelf member forming the bottom of the case, 'slidably mounted in said grooves and supported by the rollers and adapted to b e extended at the back or the front of the case, an upright supporting base, and a revoluble, vertically adJustable connection between the base and the hub and ri idly secured to the latter.

2. In post-o ce furniture, a case or head havin compartments, a horizontally slidable sielf member adapted to be extended at the back or the front of the case, a drawer carried by said member and accessible from the back or front of the case, a supporting base, and a revoluble connection between it and the case.

base, a case mounted thereon and having a series of removable shelves, wires bentto form'vertical artitions above and below a given shelf, an means to xedly'sustain the partition wires independently of the shelves, whereby the latter can be pulled voutward to release material resting thereonbetween adjacent. partitions. l

4. In post-office furniture, a case havin parallel upright sides andl open at itsbaclbr and front, a series of horizontal shelves carried by the sides, a sliding shelf member at the bottom of the case and adapted to be pulled outward atthe front or back t'o form a projecting shelf, and a stationary. ieee immediately above said member mi wa-y between the front and back ofthe case, to increase the effective depth of the slidingmember when pulled outward in either di-` rection..

In testimony whereof I have aiixed my signature, in presence of two witnesses.

GEORGE C. WEsToN, GEORGE E. Frrz GERALD.

3. In post-office furniture, al supporting 

